Food and beverage blenders have been commercially available for many years. One type of blender comprises an electric motor in a base which drives a rotating boss in the top surface of the base. The top surface of the base also includes features which will support a blending vessel. The blending vessel is typically a pitcher with a narrow bottom and a wider top. The narrow bottom includes an opening accommodating a blender blade supported on a bottom plate. The bottom plate is fixed to the bottom opening of the blender vessel by means of sealing rings and a collar. A cap closes the blender vessel top. The assembled vessel is placed upon the base where the boss engages a receptacle fixed to the blade. Switches on the base allow the user to energize the motor which rotates the blade. Switches are provided for various blender speeds and pulsing. Such blenders are typically operated using household electric current. As such they are relatively powerful and provide a substantial blending movement to the contents of the blending vessel.
A second type of blender is a hand held, battery operated unit, in which a battery provides electric current to a low voltage motor. The motor drives a shaft having a blending blade at its end. Such hand held blenders are normally switched and can be used with a mixing bowl, measuring cup, or drinking glass to blend ingredients. Such blenders are normally powered by standard commercially available household batteries and provide relatively low blending power.
The counter top blenders described have the advantage of high power. However, they have the disadvantages of multiple parts, difficult cleaning, and potential leaks should the bottom of the blending vessel is incorrectly assembled. Moreover, because the bottom of the blending vessel is relatively small in comparison to the vessel size, such vessels are somewhat unstable when not positioned properly in the base of the blender. The hand held blenders have the advantage of being somewhat easier to clean. However, they are prone to splatter the ingredients being blended as the top of the vessel is often open. They are low powered and cannot perform blending of many materials as they lack the power of the counter top blenders.